


Withering Away

by thesalsagamer396



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, DreamXD - Freeform, Gen, Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), Sick Fic, Technoblade Hears Voices (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade is Phil's son and no one can change my mind, Technosick, The Syndicate - Freeform, TommyInnit makes Drugs (colorized), Winged Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Wither Rose, some creative liberties have been taken, the chat - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:35:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29234640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesalsagamer396/pseuds/thesalsagamer396
Summary: In hindsight, maybe licking his own infected blood wasn't the best and brightest of ideas.
Relationships: Ranboo & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Technoblade, Ranboo & Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade & Phil Watson, TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Comments: 206
Kudos: 802





	1. The Calm

**Author's Note:**

> Ok this was supposed to be a Oneshot, but I wrote too much.
> 
> ALSO, THIS IS THE PERSONAS ONLY!!! THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE REAL PEOPLE!!! DO NOT GO AFTER THE REAL PEOPLE OVER WHAT THEIR CHARACTERS DO!!! THEY ARE ALL FRIENDS IRL

Technoblade watched the older man set down a pot in the middle of their Ancient Table. And in that pot, a strange black rose was planted in it.

“Uhhhh Phil? Where did you get that Wither Rose?”

The blonde smiled up at the hybrid. “Oh. Ranboo gave it to me. Don’t know where the kid got it, but he had a few on him.”

“Waitwaitwaitwaitwait wait. He just...HAD them?!”

“Techno, you have the supplies for 50 Withers in your Enderchest right now. Let the kid have his flowers, mate.”

Philza patted the younger man’s arm. He walked to the side of the table, staring at the ancient trimming they found. There was something so...familiar about it. Something that tickled his memories. Memories of previous lives lived and lost. He remembered a portal that was made of the very cosmos, a beast with mighty wings, a desolate city, and a pair of functioning wings on his back. He didn’t know why these strange stones made him think of these old lives, but his memories of them were strangely foggy when he thought about his travels to The End ever since he made it to this server. He has seen these stones before. He knows it. What did these stones have to do with The End? It was starting to frustrate him--

“AH!”

Phil looked up from his thoughts and saw Techno holding his hand tightly as he inspected a fresh wound.

“Scrape the table, mate?”

“Nah, I was just in a world where roses didn’t attack you,” the Piglin hybrid muttered.

That made Philza freeze. “You...You nicked yourself on the Wither Rose?!”

“Yeah,” Techno replied in a nonchalant manner. He licked a bit of the blood that had welled up.

“DON’T LICK IT!” The older man rushed over and grabbed Techno’s hand and pulled it away from his mouth. “ARE YOU INSANE?!”

“I’m confused, Phil.”

Wordlessly, the older man dragged his companion out of the Stronghold, not even bothering to put the stone back to hide their secret base. He ignored Techno’s complaints about leaving the base exposed. He didn’t even notice the Baby Zombie Techno was shouting about. It shortly died to the Thorns on Techno’s armor.

He dragged the hybrid all the way back home. Still silent, he grabbed a bucket and went to the basement. He gathered milk from one of the cows and went back up to Techno, who was still standing in the doorway. He shoved the bucket of fresh milk at the homeowner.

“Drink. Now.” He commanded.

Despite the pure confusion, Techno obeyed without a word. Some of the milk dripped down from his boarish tusks. Soon enough, the bucket was empty.

“So why was I drinking milk just now?”

“You...You don’t know about Wither Roses? Flowers that grow after a Wither’s explosion? Roses that give you the Wither Effect?”

“...Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh. Idiot. Why do you think it’s called the Wither Rose?!”

“...Same color?” Techno offered with a shrug and a smile.

Philza sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Unbelievable. Honestly. Just unbelievable.”

“...Welp! It’s getting late! Pretty sure you need to go to bed, old man.”

“Wh--Techno!”

The two of them began an exchange of Techno playfully shoving Phil toward the door, followed by Phil shouting obscene things back as he defended the fact that he wasn’t a senile old man. It went on for almost three minutes until Phil was out the door.

 **_LOL DADZA_ ** **_  
_ ** **_E_ ** **_  
_ ** **_OLD MAN_ ** **_  
_ ** **_OLD OLD OLD OLD_ ** **_  
_ ** **_DADZA NEEDS SLEEP!_ ** **_  
_ ** **_EEEEEE_ ** **_  
_ ** **_TECHNOSLEEP!!!!_ ** **_  
_ ** **_TECHNOSOFT_ ** **_  
_ ** **_TECHNOSON_ ** ****  
**_Techno, you should get some sleep too._ ** **_  
_ ** ******_EEEEEEEEEEEEEE_**

“Yeah yeah, Chat. I’m going to bed myself. Got more stuff to do tomorrow. And if you guys actually let me sleep, we can go for a ride on Carl before we do any of the tasks for tomorrow.”

The voices in his head exploded into cheers. They loved Carl almost as much as they loved Ranboo and Phil.

Techno climbed up the ladder to the upper room where his bed was. And his bell. He couldn’t help the grin as he started the nightly tradition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to Kudos, Comment, and Subscribe. It's free. And you can always change your mind (except for Kudos).


	2. The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sickness takes The Blood God.

He couldn’t sit up from his bed. He couldn’t pry his eyes open. He couldn’t lift his arms up. He could barely even breathe. He felt hot and cold all over. His head was pounding. His ears were ringing.

And the voices were muffled.

Techno could still hear them, if not barely. They sounded so worried. He couldn’t make out what they were saying. And for the first time in his life, he missed the voices. It was like they were trapped between a layer of Obsidian and he was struck with Mining Fatigue.

The hybrid peeled his mouth open. His lips were chapped and his throat was dry. His voice was so small and weak.

“Ph...Phil...”

The voices were shouting now. He thought he heard  _ “DADZA” _ among them.

With all the strength he could muster, he rolled to the side. Off of the bed. He landed with a thud that sounded far too loud. His pink hair fluttered gracelessly in front of his sweaty face. He managed to open his eyes, only to shut them again due to how bright his room seemed to be. It felt like the room was starting to spin. He felt so nauseous.

With shaky limbs, Techno lifted himself onto his hands and knees. With willpower that only came with time and practice, he dragged himself forward, feeling the floor for the trap door that led to the ladder to the main floor.

A strong cough wretched itself from deep in his lungs, causing him to collapse onto the floor. He couldn’t pick himself back up. He couldn’t drag his body any closer to the trap door.

Techno knew that awareness was slipping away from him. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

* * *

Philza was always a father figure to many people. Whether he was a good or bad dad was up for debate, but no one could say he never tried to be good.

On his first day on this server, he had to kill his son Wilbur. And later on, he was forced to watch his oldest son get an unfair trial and an attempted execution by his grandson. And later still, he destroyed the very country his youngest son helped to create.

No, he would never be a perfect father. He barely had time to cope with everything that happened to his family.

And when he found Ranboo, the server’s Enderman hybrid child, he couldn’t help but take him under his wings. Even in a literal sense.

The kid didn’t deserve the terrible hand that life had dealt him. The least he could do is provide a home that was safe, both physically and emotionally.

Yeah, Philza adopted another kid. Sue him.

Currently, he was watching the tall lad talk about how he had a new Woodland Explorer map. He wasn’t sure where the child got yet another one, but who could say no to more Totems of Undying?

“Hey, mate. How about we go ask Techno if he’d like to come with? You two can even use the Stasis Chamber to get home quick.”

“Oh wow, really? Yeah! Yeah, that--that’d be fantastic!”

The older man put a hand on Ranboo’s back and gave him a warm smile as he directed the two of them to Techno’s cottage.

Ranboo always liked the home Techno had here. It was so quaint and cozy in this Tundra. It was supposed to be a retirement house. And everyone knows how well Technoblade’s retirement ended.

“Technoooo! Knock knock, you have guests!” Phil called out into the house as he swung the door open in a sing-song manner.

No response.

“Uhhhh maybe he isn’t awake yet. We should--We should probably let him sleep.”

“Nonsense!”

Phil climbed up the ladder, Ranboo close behind. The older man swung the trap door open.

Only to completely let go of the ladder in his shock at the sight that greeted him.

Ranboo was quick, though. He managed to catch Phil before he landed on the floor.

“Everything ok, Phil? You could’ve gotten hurt!”

Phil paid him no mind. He rushed back up the ladder, fully entering the second floor. Curious, Ranboo followed, the climb being much easier for him due to his height. And the sight was not pretty.

Technoblade was lying on the floor right by the trap door. His skin, normally a shade pinker than most humans, had gone too pale to be healthy. Sweat was dripping down from his snout. His long, pink hair was clumped together. The hybrid’s breathing was shaky at best.

Ranboo was in shock. He had never seen the proclaimed Blood God look so...small and weak.

“DON’T JUST STARE! HELP ME GET HIM TO THE BED!”

Right! Phil! He had forgotten Phil was up here too.

The Enderman climbed the rest of the way up. He took one of Technoblade’s arms and wrapped it around his shoulders. Phil did the same on the other side, and they brought him to the bed together. Phil tucked the Piglin Hybrid under the covers and turned to Ranboo.

“Okay! Okay! Techno is deathly ill!”

“Oh Notch...”

“Alright, I think I know what caused this! Ranboo, I need you to grab a bowl of warm water and a rag, a bucket of milk, and some bread. Take the rag, wet it with the warm water, and put it on his forehead. When he wakes up, make him drink some of the milk and have at least one bite of bread. I need to do a bit of research to figure out how to properly deal with this.”

With that, Phil rushed out of the house, leaving Ranboo alone to tend to a sick Technoblade. Gathering the things Phil told him to get was simple enough. Everything he needed was in the house already. Even the fire to warm the water up.

Seeing Techno like this was so...jarring. This was The Blood God. The man that refused to die at his own execution. The lunatic that had the ability to summon over 50 Withers. The only person that could probably do a 1 v Server fight and come out on top. He was unstoppable! He never lost a fight! Against Quackity with full Netherite, a shield, and a Netherite sword, he was victorious with only some Iron armor and a Netherite Pickaxe! Even outside of this server, he was a legend. He had a perfect streak of over 1,000 victories! He farmed millions of potatoes over the span of almost a whole year! He has multiple Championships under his belt! He once conquered the entire WORLD, if only for a day or two.

To see him like this, sick in bed and very much mortal...

A groan snapped Ranboo out of his thoughts. He looked down at Techno, who managed to open his eyes and look at Ranboo. Even in his weak state, he purposefully avoided eye contact with the Enderman.

“R...Ranboo...?”

The child moved quick, putting a firm hand behind Techno’s back as the man sat up slowly.

“Hey easy now. Here. Drink this. Phil told me to make you drink some of this,” Ranboo explained, giving the sick fellow a glass bottle of milk.

Wordlessly, Techno sipped at the milk until it was completely gone from the bottle. His gaze was so blank. His entire expression was just as empty as the glass bottle. Maintaining the silence, Ranboo offered him a piece of bread. Once again, Techno took the kid’s offer and nibbled at the small piece of bread. There wasn’t an ounce of fight within him, and it made Ranboo worry.

“How...How’re you feeling?”

“...Sick...”

The pain in his voice made the young adult want to cry. He hated seeing Techno like this.

With a guiding hand, he pushed Techno onto his back and put the wet rag back on his head.

“Is there...Is there anything I can get you? Just--Just name it! I’ll get it for you!”

By the time Ranboo finished his sentence, the Piglin Hybrid was asleep once again. The Enderman let out a sigh, knowing that this was going to be most of his day until Phil came back.


	3. Out of the Frying Pan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's only getting worse.

Just his luck. Of course none of the books about Withers, Wither Skeletons, Wither Roses, and the Wither Effect would have any details about ingesting infected blood! That’s because no one was stupid enough to do that! You don’t reintroduce an infection! And if the bucket of milk didn’t cancel out the Wither Effect now, then all was lost!

Phil had been running in literary circles trying to learn something about his son’s new condition.

It looked like an extreme version of the Wither Effect. The ashen tone of Techno’s normally pinkish skin was evidence of that.

A Totem of Undying could probably work. The dark magic in those totems would negate any and all effects the person was currently experiencing, since you have to die for it to activate.

Philza pushed that thought to the side. Besides the fact that there is a possibility it wouldn’t work, Totems of Undying were rare. Ranboo had seven or so totems himself, but they were running out of standing Woodland Mansions. He shook his head, wishing that his children weren’t such arsonists.

Potions of Regeneration were a good bet for relieving symptoms, but not good for a cure. He was sure Techno did not want to be dependent on Regen Pots for the rest of his life.

He was stuck. He wished Wilbur was here. He’d know what kind of insane concoction would cure Techno.

Actually...Speaking of Wilbur...Didn’t he run a drug van in the beginning of this server?

...Didn’t Tommy run that drug van with him?

It was a total crapshoot, but maybe Tommy could give him a good place to start looking.

He glanced at the skyline. He had to get home soon. He didn’t want Ranboo alone with Techno sick in bed. The poor kid might not know what to do with himself.

Phil made a mad dash through the Nether. He ran so fast down the Cobblestone pathway, he felt like he could take off and fly once again. And were he not focused on getting home to his ill son, he would’ve lamented that he would never be able to actually take off on his wings and soar.

He launched himself through the portal and rushed over to the bit of water he had set up. He took out his Trident and some Ender Pearls. Carefully, he aimed and threw both the Trident and the Ender Pearl. He let the Riptide carry him into the air as the pearl soared away into the horizon. He waited for a few heartbeats until the magic of the thrown pearl teleported him to the roof of the cottage. He slid down the roof and went inside.

“Boys, I’m home!”

“Up here, sir!”

Philza climbed the ladder to see Ranboo and Techno exactly where he left them.

Techno didn’t look any better than when he left. If anything, he looked worse.

“How is he, mate?”

“Um...Not good.” The Enderman Hybrid took out his journal and flipped to a specific page. “He tried to leave the house and almost fell on his head trying to climb down the ladder. He also refused to eat any more bread.”

Phil stared at the sleeping young man, letting out a sigh. “Go rest, Ranboo. I’ll take over from here.”

“Did you find anything to help him? I don’t want to see him like this anymore...”

“Not really...But I’ll find something. Now go home. I’ll come get you in the morning.”

“Right...”

With that, Ranboo got up and left the cottage. Phil sat down in the chair the kid was sitting on, noting how the bucket of milk on the side of the chair was mostly empty. He let out a sigh of relief that at least the stubborn pig he called a son listened to that part of his instructions. He picked up the empty glass bottle and filled it with milk.

“Mm...”

Techno slowly opened his eyes and looked to Phil. The older man felt his heart break at the sight. He knew that his boy was in pain and that there was nothing he could do to stop it from hurting too much.

“Phil...?”

“Yeah...Yeah I’m here, mate. Drink this milk. I’ll get you a bottle of Regen to help you sleep tonight.”

The Piglin Hybrid groaned at the thought of having to drink more milk, but still did as he was told as Phil went and grabbed a Regen potion. Once his milk was finished, he took the potion offered to him and gulped it down.

Phil could see the exact moment the potion worked its magic based on the way Techno had relaxed.

“How are you feeling, Tech?”

“...I...I feel...I feel like I’m dying, Phil...”

He didn’t notice the Totem of Undying in the warrior’s hand until now. He was gripping it like the lifeline it was.

“Well you’re not dyin’ tonight. What happened to Technoblade Never Dies?”

The young man let out a wheezing cough in an attempt to laugh. He settled back down on his bed and shut his eyes once again.

* * *

The first thing Philza noticed when he woke up was that his back was killing him. Sleeping on a chair was not something he should be doing. The next thing he noticed was that he woke up. Meaning he had fallen asleep at some point during the night.

Dread rushed into his body and pushed away any tiredness that came with waking up. He casted his eyes onto the bedridden warrior, and his dread turned into horror. Technoblade’s skin had patches that were turning a sickly greenish color.

He was rotting!

A bit too roughly, Phil put two fingers on the young man’s pulse. He let out the smallest sigh of relief when he felt a weak but steady thumping, letting him know his heart was still pumping. He also noted the totem still in Techno’s hand. He hadn’t died overnight. And the poor man was shivering.

Phil knew that it couldn’t be from the cold, or else he would’ve been shivering just as hard yesterday.

The Piglin Hybrid let out a deep groan. A groan that was made similarly by the normal Piglins that became zombified from being in the Overworld.

The Wither Effect hitting him must’ve weakened his superior immune system.

Milk would be useless now. Phil knew this. He had to find a cure before Techno was lost to the rotting.

He bolted out of the home and over to the shack by the mountain just in time to see a black and white head poke out from a trap door.

“Phil, what’s wrong? You don’t look good.”

“Get a pet and something to do. I need you to watch over Techno. He’s gotten worse. And there is nothing we can do to help him except find a cure.”

“Oh! Oh, that’s--...Right!”

The hybrid jumped down into his hole and came back with a cat. He ran into the cottage, leaving Phil alone once again.

It was times like these he wished he could fly.

* * *

The trip back to the Greater SMP was a blur to Phil. His peripheral vision was covered in red, no thanks to the strange Blood Vines growing everywhere.

He wasn’t even sure where he was going until a great deal of yellow entered his vision.

The construction sign for Tommy’s hotel. And there was Tommy leaving the sight! Phil let out an almost desperate shout to get the boy’s attention.

“OY! TOMMY!”

The boy turned and looked at the man running to him.

“‘Ello, Philza Minecraft!”

As soon as he got close, Phil skidded to a halt. He bent over, hands on his knees as he caught his breath after the sprint he just made. Which only made the child laugh at him.

“I get it, Phil! You’re an old man!”

That made the man stand upright. His wings unfurled a bit in irritation, which only made Tommy laugh harder. As much as he hated being the butt of the joke, Phil always loved it when his son laughed this hard. It was so jovial and care-free. It made him sound like the kid he was, despite the wars and trials he went through. He deserved to be young.

“Tommy, I got a question for ya.”

“Ooooh Philza Minecraft asking me for help!”

“You wanna try curing a Zombie Piglin?”

“...What?”


	4. Into the Freezer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe things will be better?

He hated this. He hated everything about this. Of all the things that can happen, this is the thing he hated most.

Have you ever tried to redirect a partially Zombified Piglin Hybrid back home when he is clearly on a mission to get somewhere else? It’s impossible!

“Techno! Techno, c’mon man! Let’s go back home! Oh man, Phil is gonna kill me if he sees you out of bed! So how about we turn around and go back? Doesn’t that sound like a great idea?”

Ranboo pulled at Technoblade’s arm, trying to bring him back to the cottage he called home. That’s what he has been doing this whole time with little to no progress on his end. If anything, his attempts made the warrior move a bit faster to his goal.

“Techno! Techno! Please, you are gonna make Phil worry!”

Technoblade looked at him and let out a low, guttural noise that made Ranboo freeze and shudder. That noise just sounded so...beastly! Animalistic! It was a sound that never should have been emitted as someone as “human” as Technoblade. The most level-headed fighter in the whole server. Techno was always calculated. A perfect blend of Brains and Brawns. He wasn’t an animal, despite his biology.

The Enderman shook his head to get out of his thoughts. The other hybrid just went through the Nether Portal. He bolted forward, wanting to catch up and not lose the poor half-zombie.

Luckily, Techno was still going at a bit of a snail’s pace with his lumbering.

Despite his clouded eyes, Techno seemed to know exactly where he wanted to go. He stepped over every stone with no signs of faltering. Ranboo ran over to his side, giving up on trying to bring them home.

Phil might get mad that Techno left, but he would be furious if the child let anything happen to his son with his current condition.

Besides, it was clear that Techno hasn’t lost his mind to the corruption in his veins yet. The way he clutched his Totem of Undying not-so-loosely, unlike how Zombie Piglins only loosely held onto their swords.

Then again, he wasn’t completely coherent either. Otherwise, Techno would have gotten his armor on before leaving the cottage. And that made Ranboo worry.

He couldn’t make Techno change his pace. And Techno was vulnerable. Meaning it was up to Ranboo to get them safely through the Nether. Ghasts wouldn’t be too much of a hassle if they only come across one at a time, and falling off into lava didn’t seem to be too much of a problem with how slow they were going. But the problem with being a Hybrid is that your mob counterpart won’t recognize you as one of them. You are an outsider to the mobs.

Which meant Piglins would be the biggest problem.

And Ranboo did not want to kill any Piglins while in the presence of Technoblade. He himself didn’t like seeing Endermen die, so he decided to extend that courtesy to his friend.

Ranboo readied a shield as the duo walked along the cobblestone path that led towards the main Community Nether Hub. It was a path well used. A path that the younger was getting more and more familiar with.

Things were relatively quiet during the slow stroll. They walked past several Zombie Piglins, all of which made Techno make eye contact with each and every one of them. Those were the only times he wasn’t looking forward. It was eerie, the way Techno would just stop walking and stare at a Zombie Piglin. And the creatures would stare right back! Like they were communicating with thoughts alone!

The Main Nether Portal was in sight. Ranboo didn’t know why Techno wanted to go there, but they made it this far. May as well see it through.

He shouldn’t have let his guard down.

A strange set of snorts echoed around his ears before a pained squeal made itself known beside him. And before he knew it, the Enderman Hybrid became witness to a familiar yet strange phenomenon.

Hordes of Zombie Piglins came from every corner and overwhelmed the Piglin that fired an arrow. And Technoblade was pointing said arrow at the Piglin like he was commanding the horde.

Ranboo covered his ears as the sound of crunching and terrified squeals filled the area around them.

Soon, the horde of Zombie Piglins dispersed. All that was left of the lone Piglin was its crossbow. Technoblade lumbered to it and picked it up.

Satisfied with the end result, Techno went to the Nether Portal with Ranboo close behind.

* * *

“Phil, I don’t think any of these are gonna work.”

“Don’t say that, we aren’t done.”

Tommy groaned at his father’s response. “Can I at least know why we want to cure Zombie Piglins?”

“Science, my boy!”

They had been in the replica of the Caravan he and his brother used to sell drugs in for hours now. At first, Tommy thought this would be an awesome thing they could do, but now it was just boring.

They had captured a Piglin and brought it to the Overworld to be corrupted. The two of them then brought the freshly made Zombie Piglin to the museum on the server in order to start testing possible cures.

“Wait wait, I got it, old man! You want better drop rates, I understand now!”

Philza merely let out a hum of acknowledgement, but didn’t go to confirm or deny it. He didn’t even refute the fact that Tommy called him old.

There was something going on. The kid just knew that there was a reason for going through all this besides “science”.

“...What if Piglins are like Villagers?”

The innocent question Tommy posed made Philza drop the Splash Potion of Healing he had in his hand.

“...Say that again?”

“I’m just saying, what if we got Potions of Weakness and a Gapple and treated this guy like a Zombie Villager?”

The older man unfurled his wings a little bit and stared at the boy in shock. Without looking, he picked up the book they were using to record their findings and banged it on his head several times in frustration. Surprised, Tommy doubled over and laughed his lungs out in the way that Phil couldn’t be mad at.

“Ohhhhh why didn’t I think of that earlier?!”

“Going a bit senile at your old age, ey Philza Minecraft?”

Tommy took a Splash Potion of Weakness from one of the Brewing Stands and Phil took out a Golden Apple from his inventory. The boy threw the potion, then the older man fed the Zombie Piglin the Gapple. They both took out some milk and chugged it down as they backed away slightly.

“Hey, why don’t you get us some more milk while I keep an eye on this guy?”

“What--Are you just sending me away, Philza? Too scared of my sheer masculinity?”

“I don’t think you really wanna just stand in place and watch a Zombie Piglin for a few minutes, mate.”

“...Fair enough.”

With that, Tommy left the Caravan Replica and exited the museum. It hurt to be in there. It kept making him think of Wilbur before...everything.

He didn’t resent Phil for killing Wilbur. Not anymore, at least. Even he could see how much it hurt their father to have to kill his own son. Even during Doomsday, the hurt in Phil’s eyes was evident to anyone that even gave him a glance. Tommy could tell that he didn’t want to hurt his children any more than he already had, but he went through with it anyway.

Maybe he should ask why Phil joined Techno and Dream during Doomsday. While they’re still on speaking terms. He did help fund his upcoming hotel, so obviously Phil didn’t hate him.

A low groan snapped Tommy out of his mind. The sound of a Zombie Piglin. Well that was strange. No way would Philza let their test subject out while it’s healing. He looked around until--

“Tommy!”

Was that....

“Ranboo?!”

Tommy ran over to the Enderman Hybrid. And his companion.

“What...What happened?!”

“I-I-I-I don’t know! Phil didn’t say a word other than he’s ‘deathly ill’! At least, I don’t remember if he said anything--No! I would’ve written it down if he did.”

Tommy tuned out his tall friend. He instead put his focus on the man that he used to call his brother. Foggy whiteness overtook any possible speck of crimson that had made up his irises. Normally pinkish skin had turned an unhealthy shade lighter. There were green patches of flesh that had begun rotting, and a little bit had rotted away enough to show off a bit of bone.

“Techno...? Big...Big T...?” He hated how broken his voice sounded so broken and worried.

A large hand slowly reached over toward Tommy’s face. The child didn’t dare move, afraid of making the half-zombie angry. Rather than hurt him, the hand softly cradled his cheek, caressing it in a manner that could only be described as “fondly”.

**“Th...The...seus...”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what's the deal with Zombie Piglin hordes, anyway?


	5. The Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fog takes over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops. Miscalculated how long this fic was. Extra chapter has to be made.

Behind clouded eyes and foggy awareness, there was a war happening within Technoblade’s mind. All he was able to see was the boy in front of him. All he could hear was the boy’s wavering voice. All he could feel was the cheek cupped in his hand.

All he could think of were words he himself said to the boy.

_ “Eat the steak--Just eat the steak! Stop going through my Gapples!” _

_ “Don’t listen to him, Tommy. He don’t got no home.” _

_ “WELCOME HOME, THESEUS!” _

_ “I’M A PERSON! DISCS AREN’T PEOPLE!” _

**_“You wanna be a hero, Tommy? Then DIE LIKE ONE!”_ **

That last one kept looping in his head over and over again.

He was at war with himself. Half of him wished to give in to instincts and attack the boy. The boy struck first. Attack.  _ Attack! Attack! AttackattackattackATTACKATTACK-- _

But he was stopped by the other half of himself. The human half of himself. The one that hurt Tommy. The one that turned his back on the child when he needed him most. The one he used to antagonize, even before arriving at this server.

**_“You wanna be a hero, Tommy? Then DIE LIKE ONE!”_ **

He couldn’t attack the boy. This was Tommy! Philza’s youngest child! He couldn’t take away Philza’s other son! He’s just a child! Just a child, and forced to fight in wars he never asked for! Who had something precious stolen from him, the meaning of those objects going beyond the surface!

**_“You wanna be a hero, Tommy? Then DIE LIKE ONE!”_ **

No! He was at fault! Don’t attack! Don’t attack! DON’T ATTACK!

A hand rested on his own. A much smaller hand. A shockingly calloused hand. A voice echoed in his thoughts. Not his voice.

“What happened to you, Technoblade?”

That was Tommy’s voice. His conflicted mind fell into silence as it processed the question posed to him.

What happened to him?

A quiet fog descended upon his mind. There was a part of him that panicked. He didn’t want to go back to the nothingness that came with the corruption. Where was Phil?! Where was Ranboo?! He didn’t want to go back under! Where’s...Where’s...Where...

...

* * *

Ranboo wished he knew what the other hybrid was thinking. He wondered if he was even thinking at all. Maybe Technoblade only had a moment of clarity before settling into blissful unawareness.

The Enderman looked at Tommy. “So, uh, have you seen Phil? I mean, I was supposed to keep an eye on Techno, but well he wandered here, and I don’t want Phil mad at me for not keeping him in bed, and--”

“Slow down, Memory Boy! You’re gonna give yourself an aneurysm.”

“Slowing down.”

Word went around at one point that Ranboo had the backbone of a chocolate eclair. And Tommy was pretty sure it was first said by Ranboo himself.

“Phil is at the museum. We were experimenting with curing Zombie Piglins...Guess now I know why...” Tommy hated the way his voice went quiet.

There was some part of him that was bitter. A tiny voice in his head that mocked him for thinking Philza would spend time with him just because he wanted to. That Phil really had no ulterior motive beyond “Science”. Somehow, it always looped back to big brother Technoblade.

But...

Seeing Techno like this...Rotting away both physically and mentally...He couldn’t help but feel sorry for the hybrid. Was he in pain? Could he even think properly?

The hand that was cradling his cheek slowly fell away, and Tommy just looked into those too white eyes in confusion. He watched as Technoblade looked around and began to wander. He seemed so lost.

“I’m--I’m gonna go...get Phil...”

With that, the Enderman Hybrid left the two brothers alone. Tommy wished he stayed.

“Technoblade? You still there, Big T?”

There was no sign that the older man even heard him speak. Let alone understood him. Techno turned and began walking aimlessly in a direction.

“Techno--TECHNO! Oi wait up!”

* * *

Ranboo can’t remember a time when he had witnessed someone so broken. Which isn’t saying much, but that didn’t change the impact of the sight before him.

Once he stepped close to the Caravan Replica that started it all, he had to sidestep to avoid getting hit with a potion. Based on the smell, it was most likely a Speed Potion. Right after the glass bottle shattered, he heard a cry of anguish come from inside the drug van.

Scared and curious, Ranboo stepped inside and felt his heart break.

Philza was on his knees in front of a Zombie Piglin sitting in a boat. His iconic green striped bucket hat was being clutched against his chest tightly as emotional agony was being written all over his face.

“I...I take it hasn’t been going well...”

The older man’s wings twitched as he looked up at the hybrid. “O-Oh...Ranboo...” Phil put the bucket hat back on his head. “How...long were you standing there, mate?”

“Long enough...What happened?”

“Well...Trying to cure this Piglin like a Zombie Villager held some promise. It was slow, but he was getting better. But, it was too slow. The effects of the potion and the Gapple wore off before the process finished. I...I hoped that adding a drop of speed to the Weakness potion would speed up the healing process...And...All it did was spread the corruption faster! Now...Now he’s back to square one!”

Ranboo pondered to himself aloud. “So the Weakness Pot and the Gapple wore off before the healing finished. You can either give another dose, or increase the duration of the Weakness Pot. Trying to get a zombie to drink anything is impossible, so the only way you can get the potion to last longer is if you made it a Lingering potion. Even then, you probably need to balance it with a Notch Apple to actually heal the corruption quickly enough to--”

“Hold up hold up! Back up a sec, Ranboo!”

The young man nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Philza’s voice. He looked at him, watching him jump to his feet with his wings spread a little bit.

“Erm, what?”

“What was that about the potion?”

“Um...That the only way to keep the Weakness in a zombie’s system would be if it was a lingering potion?”

“Yes! That! How do we do that?!”

A new voice chimed in. “Dragon’s Breath.”

The two of them turned to the entrance to the van. Tommy stood before them holding a fishing pole.

“Dragon’s Breath...?!” The spark of hope that Ranboo had ignited in Phil seemed to just go out in an instant.

“...Philza.”

“Yeah, mate...?”

“Why didn’t you tell me about Technoblade?”

Tommy stepped back out of the Caravan to reveal his brother on the other end of the Fishing Pole. Whenever he seemed to wander away, Tommy would pull the pole back. He looked back at his father with accusing eyes.

“I...I didn’t...You...” Philza let out a sigh of defeat. “You wouldn’t have agreed to help me if I did. I know you hate him. And, I know we aren’t on the best of terms. I mean, I helped destroy your country, I killed your brother...Really, it was a shock you agreed to help in the first place. I just...I needed your help, and I didn’t want you to feel...like you were secondary again.”

Tommy really studied Philza’s face. The guilt, the shame, the defeat. The total hopelessness.

“...Not much we can do now, ey? Technoblade isn’t responding to me. Might be too far gone.”

Phil and Ranboo stepped out of the van to check on the Piglin Hybrid in question. They both called his name, and he only turned to face Ranboo. He looked at the Enderman in the eyes, but the young man didn’t feel uncomfortable. With his pure white eyes, Ranboo felt like he wasn’t actually looking at him in the eyes.

Technoblade didn’t even acknowledge Phil. Tommy took it as a small victory over his father.

“...We need that Dragon’s Breath.”

Both children looked at Phil. And Ranboo voiced the main concern that all three of them had.

“But how? We can’t get to The End! It’s one of the server’s biggest rules!”

Both of them watched as Philza’s eyes seemed to light up.

“I have an idea. You two keep an eye on Techno. I’ll be back with that Dragon’s Breath if it kills me.”


	6. The Rising Action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Ph1lza earned the Achievement --- ----]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK THIS CHAPTER WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE LAST, BUT I WROTE TOO MUCH SO HERE WE ARE!!!!

“So what’s the deal with you and Phil?”

Tommy’s question startled Ranboo nearly out of his skin.

“Oh, uh...Well, after they blew up L’Manburg, Phil asked me if I needed a place to stay, and I said yeah. So, he invited me to live nearby. I, uh, I guess he felt like he owed me for blowing up my home. Uh, Techno told me that he had no qualms with me, and he hasn’t kicked me off his property yet, so I guess we’re on neutral terms.”

“So you live in his basement, ey?”

“What? Oh, no I couldn’t! Er, well, I wouldn’t. I, uh, I got this little shack on the hillside behind his house. It’s--It’s not much, but it’s got my things and my pets and it’s my safe spot where no one bothers me. Phil, he uh, he tends to get me involved with some of their adventures. Just recently, he sent me with Techno to go Totem Hunting. It was pretty ok. He stole a Notch Apple from a chest that I was gonna open, which annoyed me. And then we burned the mansion down to end the adventure. It was pretty fun. Techno had to wake up Phil because Phil stayed behind to activate the Stasis Chamber. I...I...I was rambling, wasn’t I?”

“Yeah, you were...Not that I care, but what’s Techno like with you?”

“Oh, he’s great! He usually doesn’t bother me, and when we do talk, it’s very pleasant.”

Tommy hated the way Ranboo spoke so highly of Phil and Technoblade. He hated it because he won’t be able to look at Technoblade the same way after what happened the day before Doomsday. Accusations were made, trust was broken, feelings were hurt. It was an emotional mess, and both of them were too proud to make the first move on mending the bridge they both burned down.

He didn’t want to admit how much he missed his big brother Technoblade. Even if he was with them physically.

“Tommy? You ok? You look like you wanna say something.”

“...Nah. It’s alright, Big Man. But if Techno ever gives you a hard time, you ring up your pal TommyInnit! I’ll kill him with my bare hands!”

Tommy made a big show of flexing his muscles and gloating about just how massive he was. Ranboo could help but laugh and playfully go along with it.

Behind them, the Piglin Hybrid seemed to look all around. He kept guard of the children’s back. He didn’t know why, but he felt this instinctual need to protect them.

* * *

They called him a force of nature. The Angel of Death. He was Philza Minecraft, the longest Hardcore Survivor. He was no fighter like Technoblade, but he was not to be underestimated in combat. He did more than just survive. He lived. He spent each day fighting, running, flying, building, creating, destroying, learning. He knew everything there was to know about surviving in various servers.

Phil kicked himself when he had forgotten about The End.

The server that was the DreamSMP was a strange one. One of its biggest rules was that no one was allowed to go to The End. There was a mysterious force at work that suppressed the thoughts and memories of everyone who lived in it. If he were to guess, it was so that no one felt like they were missing out on a whole other part of the server.

When Tommy mentioned Dragon’s Breath, all of his knowledge of The End flooded back to him.

He may not know how he was going to break the rule, but he had an idea of where to start.

His wings fluttered uselessly as he sprinted through the Nether and back into the snowy biome he called home. He bolted into the igloo near the portal and broke the floor in the basement and ran down. All the way down to the room it started from.

When he and Techno discovered the strange formation, neither of them could make heads or tails of it. But, on the day they found it, they met a deity. A guardian.

“HEY! HEY! I KNOW YOU’RE HERE! I NEED TO SPEAK WITH YOU!” Philza shouted into the room.

He was met with silence.

“Look, I know you don’t want us going to The End, but I need to! I have to! I know this portal is wrong and won’t work! If you don’t take me to The End, I’ll just find another portal and activate it!”

Once again, there was nothing but silence for his answer.

“...Fine. I got plenty of Blaze Powder, and I got plenty of Enderpearls. You can’t stop me from finding another Stronghold.”

He turned back to the secret entrance to leave their meeting room. In seconds, he could feel another presence in the room. He smirked, knowing that the guardian would take the bait. He faced the room again, and was met with a being inches from his face.

The guardian was about half his size. Taking a form after the Admin of the server, they had a cue ball-like head with Dream’s signature smiley face. They’re body was just as white as their face, and they were wearing a cloak that was as green as Dream’s signature green hoodie. Currently, they were floating at eye level with Philza.

“You cannot go to The End.”

The voice of the being known as DreamXD was as if Dream’s voice was the wind itself. The sound of it was almost soothing with a neutral, calm tone. There wasn't a single emotion to be heard.

“I...I know I can’t, but...I need something from The End. Something I can’t get here in the Overworld or in the Nether.”

“Elytras are forbidden unless gifted by the Admin.”

“I know! I know...But I need Dragon’s Breath. I need it!”

“...Why?”

The guardian tilted their head so that the smiley face was at an angle. They wasn’t any disdain for Phil’s desire to break the rules. It was pure curiosity.

“I...My son...He’s been corrupted, and normal Weakness Pots don’t last long enough to cure him...Please...”

The deity watched as Philza fell to his knees. They lowered themself onto the ground as the mortal lowered his head toward the ground.

“What would you give in exchange?”

The response was instant.

“Anything. My life, my wings, my gear, my riches, my free will...I’ll do anything if it means I can cure my son...”

“You would give your soul?”

“In a heartbeat.”

DreamXD looked at the player in confusion. They never met someone who would give anything just for a chance.

After a few minutes of considering, the deity came to a conclusion.

“Follow me.”

The little guardian led the player out of the meeting room. They took him to the middle of the open, surrounded by nothing but snow. They summoned the stones needed to make the portal and placed them in a ring around them. They then took out Eyes of Ender and placed eleven of the twelve eyes in. Philza watched as DreamXD placed two chests next to each other.

“Place all of your items in the chest.”

Reluctantly, Phil followed the little deity’s instructions. All of his weapons and his items went into the chest.

“Place all of your items in the chest.”

The player looked at them in confusion. It took a moment for him to realize that it included his gear. He stripped himself of his armor and placed it in the chest.

“I will be providing you with items and allow you to enter The End. If you die while in The End, it will be considered a Canon Death. You will be trapped in The End until you defeat the Ender Dragon. Once you defeat the Ender Dragon, you must exit through the portal in the center of the arena. You will not try to find an End City. You will not attempt to acquire an Elytra. You will not attempt to acquire a Shulker Box. Do you understand my instructions?”

“...Yes.”

DreamXD began handing him items. A pair of Iron Boots with Feather Falling I enchanted on them, a Leather Chest Plate, a Water Bucket, some Enderpeals, a Diamond Sword, an Iron Pickaxe, one Potion of Healing, a stack of bread, a bow, and half a stack of arrows. The bare minimum someone would take to fight the Ender Dragon.

At this point, Philza understood what was happening. This was more than a kindness. This was a trial. If he wanted that Dragon’s Breath that much, he needed to survive and fight.

DreamXD placed the last Eye of Ender into its proper place, and the portal boomed out, announcing its newly found life to the entire server.

“Good luck, Ph1lza.”


	7. The Climax

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like father, like son, they say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was supposed to be the last chapter, but I let the first portion of it get away from me. Next one is the last chapter, I promise!

Half of the way back through the Nether on the route home, a loud boom was heard throughout the entire server. Tommy took out his communicator to check the feed to make sure his ears weren’t tricking him.

“...Philza’s at The End.”

“What?! How’s that possible?! I thought it was against the rules to go to The End!”

As the children marveled about the fact that Philza was breaking the biggest rule of the server, Technoblade kept walking. He didn’t know what they were talking about, and didn’t have the energy or the ability to care. He could barely muster the energy to move his legs toward a goal.

The voice of the Nether spoke to every Zombie Piglin. It was a call to bliss and peace. A siren’s song promising freedom from the pain of living, if only you give in. And every Zombie Piglin answered the call sooner or later. The corruption that rotted them from the inside out made the process painful, especially as it kept them from the escape that death brought from the pain.

To answer the voice of the Nether was to give up your free will and surrender yourself to the fate of wandering aimlessly forever.

Technoblade could hear the voice of the Nether so clearly. He heard its promises of a painless existence. And he believed it. He truly believed that he could be free of the pain from the rotting if only he surrendered.

But he wouldn’t. He couldn’t.

He couldn’t remember why, but he felt the need to keep this pain. To keep his will. He had an objective, and he needed to keep going through the pain.

**_Dadza Criminal Arc POG_ ** **_  
_** **_E_ ** **_  
_** **_TECHNOLATE_ ** **_  
_** **_HELLOOOOOOOO??????_ ** **_  
_** **_Can he hear us?!  
good morning chat_ **

The undead player held his head as voices so suddenly invaded his mind. These voices weren’t the soothing siren’s call that offered comfort. These voices were loud and painful. They had shoved themselves into the forefront of his mind and refused to go away. He let out a whimper as he fell to his knees.

The voices overwhelmed him. He couldn’t move. He could barely breathe. It hurt to listen. It hurt to process. It hurt! It hurt! It--

“Techno?!”

Two thin hands grabbed the Piglin Hybrid by his cheeks and gently guided his head to look up. He was met with a warm, comforting smile.

“Breathe with me now.”

The lanky figure made a show of his breathing, prompting Technoblade to copy the process.

“There you go, big man. You’re doing great,” another voice outside of his head praised.

Soon, the shouting of the voices became much quieter and more worried.

**_Techno??? Can you hear us???_ ** **_  
_** **_ZOMBIE ARC POG!  
_ ** **_EEEEEE  
_ ** **_/rainbowchat_ ** **_  
_** **_Technolate_ ** **_  
_** **_Isnt going to the end illegal???  
is dadza getting banned? D:  
E_ **

His mind felt clear for the first time all day. He could smell the basalt native to the Nether.

He could actually see the boys in front of him.

**"Ran...boo...? Wha...Tommy...?"**

Techno couldn't recognize the sound of his voice. It was too low and pained to be his. His voice was supposed to be monotone in order to hide any weakness he may be feeling. 

To hear his own voice so raw...he cringed to himself. Several of the voices shared his sentiment. The word **_"CRINGE"_ **kept bouncing around his head like a fly.

“Technoblade? Technoblade, do you know where you are?”

**“Tom....Tommy...Hurts...”**

Slender hands took hold of his shoulders. Big blue eyes pierced through his own. And focusing on those crystal blues cleared away some more of the fog that hid away his pain. A terrible surge rippled through his body, and he lurched forward and held the body in front of him to keep steady.

“Uhhh Tommy?”

“Not now, Ranboo.”

“Tommy, there’s someone else here.”

“Well tell them to keep moving. There is nothing to see here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes tell them tha--”

The boy turned around, and all he could see was that smiley face. The same simple design on a mask that haunted his nightmares. Any words in his throat shriveled and died, nearly choking him.

Logically, he knew it wasn’t Dream. The being was too short, and the body was pure white. But between that smile and the green cloth, Tommy couldn’t help the panic clawing its way out of his chest.

He just hoped that Ranboo could ignore the very unmanly whimper that escaped him.

Both children backed away from the new presence, their fear and dread permeating the area around them. The youngest held onto his brother tightly. Despite his fear, he had to be strong. Technoblade was nearly useless in his current state, so he had to be the big man until Phil returned.

“Hello, TommyInnit. Hello, Ranboo. It is good to see you in person.”

The way they spoke as if it was strictly business made Ranboo sick. It sounded like how the Dream Voice in his mind spoke to him. It was cold, emotionless, level. It had this finality about it that left no room for argument, no matter how loud you cried against it.

Tommy shook his head to clear out his fear enough to talk back. “You’re...You’re not going to say hi to Technoblade? Pretty rude, innit Ranboo? He’s right in front of you.”

“Uh...Y-Yeah...I...I guess, yeah.”

“I already made acquaintance with Technoblade. But, I know what you must be thinking. I assure you that I am not him. I am not the Dream you know.”

“Well...If you’re not Dream, then who are you? Some sort of fanboy? Ha. Hey Technoblade. Imagine being a Dream Stan, ey?”

To his surprise, his older brother looked at him with clouded red eyes and let out a huff of amusement. **“Heh....C-Cringe...”**

**_Wait is this lore???_ ** **_  
_** **_TELETUBBY KINNIE!!!_ ** **_  
_** **_HOMELESS GOD LOL_ ** **_  
_** **_eeeeeeee  
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD_ **

“I am known as DreamXD. I am the enforcer of the rules of this server.”

“U-Uh...So...D-Do you know about Phil?” The Enderman Hybrid blurted out, instantly regretting bringing Phil to the deity’s attention.

“I do. He has entered The End with my permission.”

The children looked at each other, joy and astonishment pouring out. Phil made it to The End! He was about to do what was considered impossible on this server! Ranboo dug into his pocket and pulled out his communicator.

“Do not message the player known as Ph1lza. He will be distracted, and he may die.”

The trio all froze and looked at the guardian.

“What...What do you mean by that? Philza’s got the best armor and weapons and a totem on him at all times. If anyone can make quick work of the Ender Dragon, it’ll be Philza Minecraft.”

“He does not have his armor or weapons or Totem of Undying. He has limited supplies, and if he dies once in The End, it will be considered a Canon Death.”

Thousands of voices cried out in outrage in light of this new information. Voices only Technoblade could hear. They all chanted in unison.

**_BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD_ ** **_  
_** **_BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD_ ** **_  
_** **_BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD  
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD  
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD  
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD  
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD  
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD  
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD  
_ **

“You...You sent him on a suicide mission, didn’t you?!” The blonde stood at full height, taking out a familiar axe. “YOU SENT HIM TO DIE, DIDN’T YOU?!”

Tommy took a swing at the little deity. It made an impact, but the guardian hardly seemed fazed. They tilted their head slightly and punched back.

And all hell broke loose.

Tommy was grabbed from behind and held tightly. Angry snorts and groans surrounded him as the undead took arms and marched toward the deity. He looked up at the Zombie Piglin holding him.

His brother’s eyes were completely white once again, shrouding any true comprehension left in him. And his face was angry. He held a crossbow in one hand, pointing it at the being known as DreamXD. Zombie Piglins from across the Nether gathered around and surrounded them.

For the first time, DreamXD expressed emotion. They were baffled. They floated up to be out of reach of the angry horde. They looked at Technoblade, still pointing his crossbow at them as he let out an angry growl.

“This...is not possible. These mobs should be passive to me.”

“Ranboo...Ranboo, what’s happening?!”

“I-I-I saw this happen earlier! A Piglin attacked Techno, and a horde of zombies ganged up on it! And...And it looked like Techno was commanding them! If...If he’s a Zombie Piglin now, then he-he must be part of the horde. At least I think that’s what’s happening.”

“A player commanding the mobs around them...How interesting.”

And with that, the guardian vanished. The horde dispersed, no longer having a target.

When everything settled, the children looked at each other and started to laugh out their nervous energy and converted into feeling relieved.

“You...You scared him off!”

“Hah...Ahah! HA HA! YEAH! YEAH, BIG T! TECHNOBLADE NEVER DIES!”

They both launched themselves at the Piglin Hybrid and hugged him tightly. Technoblade hardly reacted. But, he did put his arms around the boys.

“You--You just scared off a god!”

“THE BLADE! THE BLADE!”

Tommy felt the arm around him stiffen. Fingers gripped his shirt a bit too tightly. He watched as the Zombie Piglin slowly turned his head to look Tommy in the eyes. His face was unreadable, but the youngest in the area had an idea of what he must be thinking.

_“That’s all I was to you: The Blade! You never saw me as a friend!”_

“...Sorry, Big T...I didn’t mean it like that...Let’s get you home.”

The fingers loosened their grip and the arm relaxed. The trio continued their walk through the Nether.

Tommy sighed to himself. Maybe he should live up to his Big Man status and take the first step toward rebuilding that bridge burned down on either side. At the very least, he could repair his side of the bridge and say he tried...

* * *

Philza could honestly say that he was scared for his life at the moment.

Currently, he was stuck underground, munching anxiously on his last loaf of bread. He was safe from any Endermen and the Ender Dragon, but he had to get back up there at some point. For now, he let his hurt fade away from his joints and feet.

He reviewed his progress so far. All of the End Crystals were destroyed, the Ender Dragon was about half health. He himself was a little over half his health, and he was now out of food. He still had his Potion of Healing that he needed to drink before he left. His boots had broken, he was down to ten arrows, and his pickaxe was almost broken. Soon, he wouldn’t be able to hide underground.

A shaky breath echoed in the little hole he dug himself into. Phil was terrified. He knew it would be difficult. But right now, he was cutting it way too close.

He had no doubt in his mind that if he were to call for help, DreamXD would appear before him and send him home with nothing to show for his progress.

He took a deep breath and dug himself out of the hole. Endermen he had angered earlier charges at him. He dumped his bucket of water at his feet and watched the Endermen scatter away from him. One by one, with pure muscle memory, he cut them down with ease by his Diamond Sword. Once he was clear of angry Endermen, he scooped up his water in a hurry. He made a mad dash for the center of the arena and swiped the blade at the Ender Dragon relentlessly.

He allowed the anger and frustration that had built up since he first made it to this server push every swing of his weapon. It felt like decades of grief and pain had amounted to this moment. This fight.

He was flung into the air so suddenly. With quick thinking, he used the water from his bucket to cushion his fall. He had to be careful, now. He didn’t want to have to use his Health Potion yet. He took out an Enderpearl and flung it back at the center and teleported.

The dragon flew away after a few more slashes.

Philza was tired.

His arms and legs screamed in agony from overuse. His fingers felt stuck in their grip to his sword. His vision was starting to tunnel. All he could hear was his heartbeat and the dragon’s strong wings carrying it away. Mindlessly, he took out his bow and drew an arrow. He fired shot after shot at the beast until he ran out of arrows to fire.

From there on, it was a cycle of digging himself into a hole, waiting, and then coming back out and striking when the dragon landed in the center. A good cycle that was then broken when he was flung into the air without water in his bucket. He looked around until his eyes landed on one of the Obsidian Pillars. He threw pearl after pearl against the wall of the pillar until he landed on the ground.

He was still alive. If not barely.

He took out his Health Potion and chugged it down.

In an instant, he felt new life charging through his blood, sealing up the wounds he had gathered during his grueling battle. With his newfound strength, he ran back to the center, scooping up some Dragon’s Breath that lingered on the battlefield.

Philza let out a warcry and charged at the dragon. He poured everything he had into one last swing. His sword shattered, and the beast of The End disintegrated in a glorious light.

He watched in shock as the Enderdragon became like dust. Enchantment sprinkled down upon him. Hysterical laughter bubbled from his chest.

He did it. He actually did it. He freed The End! He got the Dragon’s Breath! He won!

The blonde looked back down, and was faced with a familiar smiley face. Their posture told him that they were rather disappointed with the results. He grinned and did the only thing he could think of.

_“SUCK IT, GREEN BOOOOOOOY!”_

He flipped DreamXD the double bird and jumped into the portal home. He had a son to cure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what's up with the Commerce War going on in the SMP rn? Ranboo and Tubbo are now making a hotel of their own, Sam threw shade at Philza Minecraft of all people, Jack Manifold trying to do a hostile takeover of the Big Innit hotel...Honestly, this is the content I live for.


	8. The Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All stories have endings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uhhh how we doing after Tommy's stream? Horrible? Me too.

If you were to ask Philza what the most blissful experience in any server was, he would say that it was spreading your wings and flying for the very first time. He remembered the first time he had found an Elytra and soared above the home he had created with his own two hands. He remembered his first time watching the ground get closer and closer, only for him to launch a rocket and rise back up into the air. The first time he felt his hair being pushed back by the wind, and his laughter was snatched away from his ears. The bliss. The euphoria. The sweet taste of finally being free.

It hurt to know that no one will ever get their wings on this server.

They couldn’t even experience the peace that came from falling into the Portal in the End for the first time.

No one would ever be told the End Poem as they fell through the abyss that made the world in between The Overworld and The End.

Two beings would speak of you. About you. To you. The very fabric of the world around you would embrace you. A comforting warmth would surround you. And they tell you that the universe loves you. Philza mourned the fact that no one else on this server would ever be told just how much the universe adores you, even if it all may be like a dream at times.

The beings coaxed him with kind words to wake up.

So he did. He opened his eyes to find himself back in the cozy little cottage he and Technoblade called home.

He decided to bask in the afterglow of his trip home. He felt so warm and safe and loved. Oh so loved. He wrapped his arms and wings around himself as he smiled.

He won. He faced the odds that were stacked impossibly high against him and came out victorious.

The warmth slowly faded, and exhaustion filled in the empty space. Begrudgingly, he tucked his raggedy wings behind him and stood up from the bed. He had to get back to his kids and hand over the Dragon’s Breath to Tommy.

Phil hadn’t realized that he was moving until the frigid air of the tundra slapped him across the face. He rubbed his eyes furiously and forced his tired legs to carry him forward. The first thing he needed to get was his armor and weapons. Both the Iron Pickaxe and the Diamond Sword he was gifted were broken, and his chestplate was nothing but strips of leather barely held together by strings.

He let the rhythmic crunching of snow beneath his feet lull him into a mindless routine of one foot in front of the other. He kept walking until he stumbled across the familiar double chest sans an End Portal. He pried it open and felt a lazy grin grown on his face. With some enthusiasm reinvigorated at the sight of the contents, he quickly put his armor back on. A wave of relief washed over him at the familiar weight of the Netherite armor on his body. His weapons were put in their proper place, and all of his items safely back on his person.

And there was something extra in the chest, too.

There was a book and an Enchanted Golden Apple at the very bottom.

Etched in the Notch Apple was the word “Congratulations” in the shimmering skin. The book was titled “Your Reward” and was signed by DreamXD. Curious, he opened the book and murmured its contents aloud.

_ Player Ph1lza, _

_ Despite every expectation, you seem to have succeeded in obtaining a bottle of Dragon’s Breath and Freeing The End. This was rather unprecedented. A sick part of me, the part of me that is connected to the Administrator, is disappointed that you managed to survive. The rest of me, however, is very impressed at your victory. Please accept this Enchanted Golden Apple as both a reward for beating the odds, and as an apology for wishing for your death. I hope to never have to see you again. _

_ -DreamXD _

An airy chuckle escaped him. With the challenge he was given, he deserved an Elytra with all the fixings! But a free Notch Apple is a free Notch Apple.

“PHIL!”

He closed the chest and looked behind him. Tommy ran over to him, looking overjoyed to see the older man.

“Tommy! Just the person I wanted to see! But, where’s Ranboo and Techno? Still at the museum?”

“Uhhhh wellllll...No. They’re, uh...They’re in a boat.”

“...What?”

The child lurched forward and held his stomach as he burst into hardy laughter. Phil wanted to be a bit mad. He wanted to demand an explanation from the teen. But, it was always that laugh. The kid laughed like he was going to die soon, so his last laughs had to count. Philza could only hope that he would continue laughing that way when he too became an old man.

He laughed along with the boy, albeit a bit sheepishly.

“Uhhh Technoblade stopped walking in a straight line, so we put him in a boat. Ranboo’s currently rowing them back to their base.”

“Actually, we’re over here!” The pair looked away from each other to see the Enderman Hybrid waving at them from the boat. His passenger just stared ahead, face completely blank.

Phil’s smile fell at the sight. Seeing his son this sick...Was he in pain? Does he know where he is? Does he even know he’s sitting on a boat?

He was getting a bit light-headed. The previous adrenaline from walking into the cold was leaving him. The world was starting to spin.

He pushed himself beyond his limit. He had to be fast.

“Alright, two things, Tommy.”

“Okay?”

“One: Take this.” He pulled out the Dragon’s Breath and handed it to the young blonde. “Two...Catch me.”

Philza always had a knack for timing things. As soon as he finished talking, he felt his eyes roll back into his head and his legs collapsing from under him. Before he completely passed out, he felt lanky arms wrap around his torso. And then the world was dark.

* * *

As much as he brags, Tommy was not able to handle Philza’s weight without nearly falling to his own knees. Still, he manages to stay on his feet while keeping his father from falling into the snow.

“Ranboo! Get over here and help!”

The Enderman Hybrid stood up and dashed over to the pair. Technoblade could wait for a bit while they figured out what to do next.

“Erm, what now?” He asked, grabbing one of Phil’s arms and wrapping it around his shoulder to help Tommy carry some of the older man’s weight.

“Well the way I see it, we got two options. Either we leave Philza here, or we bring him with us.”

“Well, uh, see, I think there’s gonna be a problem with that. There is no room in the boat for him, and neither of us can carry him on our own. So, we’re gonna have to leave him here...” Ranboo looked around before his eyes settled on a familiar structure. “...Actually, don’t igloos have beds?”

“...Well, at least we have a place to leave the old man.”

The two kids carried Phil into the igloo and dumped him on the bed with little fanfare. Ranboo brought the blanket over the sleeping man’s body to keep him warm.

“Alright, I rowed in the Nether. Your turn.”

“What?! Through this terrain?! You’re crazy, Ranboo.”

“Should’ve thought of that before making me take the first shift.”

“...Well we could always just brew it in the igloo.”

“...We could. Uhhh there’s no brewing stand in the basement in this one, so I’ll go grab one. You stay here and guard Techno.”

“Cool.”

Ranboo took off to the cottage without another word. Tommy, not wanting to feel unproductive, decided to row Techno’s boat into the igloo as well. Were his older brother aware of his surroundings, he would probably give out a little “wheeee” as the boat dropped down.

He hated the way his heart ached at the thought that his brother wasn’t doing that.

Once inside, though...

He merely sat in the boat and stared at his father. He noted all the healing bruises that littered his hands and his face. Phil must’ve had a health potion recently, based on the coloring. And he looked so tired.

He risked his only life for his son.

And it felt like he was shot by the arrow that took his second life once again.

Dark whispers filled the child’s mind. Whispers that told him that he would never be worth that much to anyone. Especially not to his own father. Someone will always be more worth it than him. No one would ever love him that much. He himself would love that much for someone else, but he would never be worth it to anyone. He was alone. He was worthless. He was--

Two arms wrapped around him slowly. Two strong, steady arms had embraced him. He looked down and saw rotting flesh and bone among the too-pale skin.

**“...The...seus...”**

The day of his betrayal came to mind. Technoblade was willing to be there for him...He would’ve fought the entire server if it meant that his little brother would be safe.

He would’ve been there.

Tommy’s hurt morphed into something bittersweet. Maybe he wasn’t worth it right now...But he could be. He could be worth dying for to someone else. He could be loved that much.

Perhaps he still could.

“...Techno, when...The day before Doomsday is something I have regrets over...I wish there was a way I could’ve chosen both you and Tubbo...I get why you like Ranboo so much. But...What I did to you was wrong. And the worst part is that I will always choose Tubbo over you. I’ll choose Tubbo over anyone else. I’d choose him over me...I guess what I’m getting at is that, well...You were right about me, Big T. I betrayed you. I know I’m not completely at fault...But I know I share part of the blame for what happened between us. And for that, I’m sorry...Wish I had the guts to say that to your face, though.”

The arms pulled him closer to the hunched figure of his brother.

**“...Theseus...”**

“Heh...I...I really am just a coward. Pretending I’m a big man and all strong and stuff...Guess I always just wanted to be like you and Wilby...”

Neither men responded to his rambling. Despite knowing that he was talking to no one, Tommy felt worlds better. A weight was lifted from his shoulders.

Ranboo came back a few minutes later with a Brewing Stand. When he opened the door, he wasn’t expecting to see a Zombie Piglin Hybrid clinging to a human child.

“...Uhhhhh...”

“Shut up.”

“Shutting up.”

The hybrid set the stand down and Tommy got out of the boat after carefully prying himself from his brother’s undead arms. He placed three Weakness Splash Potions in the stand with the Dragon’s Breath. He had to be careful about it, though. This was his only bottle of Dragon’s Breath, making these the only possible Lingering Potions in the whole server. Even he knew that this was no time for joking. He had to make sure not to dilute the potions to make the effects so weak. One drop too much, and the whole thing would be pointless. One drop too few, and the potion won’t linger long enough to counter the healing effects of a Golden Apple.

The two children waited with bated breath when they heard Philza shifting in the bed.

“Mm...Hey, boys,” he greeted, his voice riddled with sleep.

“Hey Phil.”

“Morning, old man.”

“Ah...Sorry...Was I out for long?”

“No. Just long enough for me to grab a brewing stand, really.”

“Ranboo...You said...” Phil was interrupted by a yawn that tore through his chest and refused to be stifled. “You said we needed a Notch Apple, too, right?”

“...I forget.”

“Ha! Typical Memory Boy!”

“It’s fine...Here.”

The older man reached into his pocket and took out the Enchanted Golden Apple and offered it to the Enderman.

“What? You just carried Notch Apples with you, Phil?”

“A gift from my tormentor,” he joked.

Ranboo took the Notch Apple and inspected it. “...Congratulations, it says.”

“I saw DreamXD at The End, you know. Totally flipped ‘em off before I jumped in the portal.”

Tommy was caught so off guard that his laughter actually brought him to the ground. His whole body shook with mirth.

“YEAAAAH GO PHIL!”

“PHILZA! PHILZA! PHILZA! PHILZA!”

Phil couldn’t help but let out a hardy laugh of his own as the children cheered for him.

A glugging sound caught Tommy’s attention, and he took the potions out of the stand.

“It’s done! Gapple ready?”

“Notch Apple at the ready!”

Tommy threw the potion at Technoblade, and Ranboo fed him the Enchanted Golden Apple.

The Piglin Hybrid began to shake violently. And the living trio coughed as Lingering Weakness invaded their lungs. Ranboo offered the other two a Bucket of Milk each.

“Wait until the potion dissipates, Tommy.”

“Well duh.”

It took a few more moments before the air was clear of Weakness, and all three chugged their milk to rid themselves of the potion’s effect. Technoblade was still shaking as his flesh began to heal and his bones were starting to become covered once again.

The poor man huffed and grunted in pain. He looked like he wanted to scratch at his healing flesh, but was too weak to actually do anything about it. The cloudiness of his eyes started to disperse, revealing piercing red irises.

Both children sat beside Philza as the man wrapped his tattered wings close to them. They could only watch and hope that all of their efforts were not in vain.

They couldn’t watch any longer after the warrior let out a particularly loud scream in his pain. The three of them hid behind Phil’s wings, holding each other close.

It felt like an eternity had gone by when the Piglin Hybrid stopped making noise. When they dared to look up.

They all felt the same relief when they saw Technoblade asleep. His flesh had fully healed with no bones in sight. His skin was its normal shade of light pink. And he looked peaceful.

With a smile, Phil got up and lifted his son with some struggle and brought him to the bed. The children stood up to give him room. 

"Uh...you guys should go get some rest or something. I'll watch Technoblade."

Phil looked at his youngest son in surprise. "You sure, mate? You did your part. You don't have to do any more."

Ranboo took the opportunity and left, not wanting to be stuck watching the other hybrid  _ again _ .

"Yeah. I'm sure. I'm a big man. I can handle it."

"All right, Tommy. But, make sure you tell him that you're sorry when he's aware enough to hear it, alright?"

Phil laughed at his son's face as confusion became shock, and shock became disbelief and embarrassment. 

"Wh--You were awake?! You heard all of that?!"

All his father would do was laugh at him and pat his shoulder twice before leaving.

Once he could no longer hear Phil's laughing, Tommy turned to the figure of his sleeping brother and smiled.

They had a lot to talk about when Techno wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, there are ideas for an epilogue, but don't count on it.

**Author's Note:**

> Please Comment. It gives me the Seratonin.


End file.
